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W. s. MALLARD. I CIGARETTE FORMER.- No. 604,623.

?atented May 24, 1898..

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WILLIAM S. MALL ARD, OF DARIEN, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ROBERT MANSON, OF SAME PLACE.

CHGARETTE 'FQRWE ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 604,623, dated May 24, 1898. Application filed August 27, 1897. Serial No. 649,774. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. MALLARD, residing at Darien, in the county of McIntosh and State of Georgia, have invented a new and Improved OigaretteFormer, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for forming cigarettes; and it primarily has for its object to provide a simple and effective device for the purposes stated which can be conveniently carried in the pocket and which can be quickly manipulated by the user for forming cigarettes for individual consumption.

This invention also has for its object to provide a cigarette-former which can be used in combination with packs of paper put up in the ordinary manner, with advertising-covers, &c., and which is composed of a very few parts easily assembled and capable of being manufactured at such a small cost as to enable manufacturers to use them as-a free advertising media.

With other. objects in View, which will hereinafter be referred to, my invention consists in a forming device embodying the peculiar construction and combination of parts, such as will be first described in detail, and then be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved former, illustrating the simplest and preferred form thereof. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, showing the paper in its initial position, the twister or curler being shown in position to engage and curl the paper to bring its front end above the front edge of the trough portion. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, the twister being shown in the position it is held after the paper has been carried over the trough in position to receive the tobacco. Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating the position of the twister after it has curled the paper about the tobacco. Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating the completely-formed cigarette partly drawn out of the trough with the twister and in position to have theend of the paper moistened before the twister is entirely pulled out of the tobacco body. Fig. 6 is aview of the twister detached. Fig. 7 is a cross-section 011 the line 7 7 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 8 is a view of a modified form of my improvement.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the body of my oigarette-for1ner, made of a single piece of sheet metal, preferably nickeled brass, one edge of which has extensions 2 2 for a purpose presently explained. At the edge having the extensions 2 2 the plate is bent up to form a trough 3, the front upper edge of which is in a plane above the feed edge 14 of the plate portion 1*, the purpose of which is twofold: first, to serve as a stop for the front edge of the paper as it is shoved over the trough, and, secondly, to form a continuation or curl in'the direction of the said edge l to assist the single twister member to curl and carry the paper end over the opening at the top toward the edge l t.

The extensions 2 2 are bent entirely over to form bearing portions 6 and 7, the free edges being made fast to the plate portion 1 by soldering or otherwise.

One end of the trough 3 is closed by a plug 4, screwed or brazed in the end of the bearing-box 6, such plug being, however, of a less length than the length of such box to form an annular chamber 6, in which the free end of the twister or curler 8 projects.

So far as described it Will be observed that the trough forms a pendent portion, which in the preferred form of my device is utilized as an abutment for the rear edge of a bookpackage of cigarette-papers 9, which is conveniently attached to the under side of the plate 1 in any suitable manner, preferably by the elastic 10, which is usually secured to book-packages, which is passed through a central aperture 1 through end notches 1 in plate 1, and around the book-package, as shown, such connection of parts providing for a neat and compact form of device.

The twister consists of a finger-knob or handle 12, having a boss 12 of a diameter to snugly fit bearings 7, and a thin spring-metal single finger 13, which is riveted at one end to the boss 12. This fingeris of such alength that its free end will ride in and engage the annular rim or wall of the chamber 6.

By referring more particularly to Fig. 3 it will be noticed the forward edge of the curling-finger 18 is beveled inward at 13, so as not to engage the perimeter of the trough, it having, however, serrations or teeth 13, projected outward to engage the paper and carry it from the edge 14 of the trough and past the feed edge 14. The back or body portion of the finger is, however, so connected to the boss 12 that its edge 13 will travel closely against the perimeter or wall of the trough and thereby carry the paper around with it by friction, and thus relieve it from being drawn forward entirely by the roughened front edge of such finger.

As the tension of the free end of the finger 13 is normally outward, it follows that when such finger is in position in the trough 3 its free end will have a tight frictional contact with the annular wall of the chamber 6. To hold the twister or curler in proper connection with the body 1, its boss 12 is provided with a peripheral frictional bearing to engage the bearing 7, which bearing is preferably produced by forming the riveted end of the finger 13 with one or two lateral free ends 13, as shown clearly in Fig. 6.

The manner in which my improvement operates is explained as follows: The smoker after tearing a paper out of the book-pack places it on the plate 1 with its front edge over the trough 3. The twisteris then turned toward the plate, its teeth pulling the body of the paper down until the rear edge of the finger 13 is in line of engagement with the trough-wall, after which the tooth strain on the paper is relieved until the finger again leaves the trough. The twister is turned until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 4,

which brings the front edge of the paper over the edge 14 of the trough, which edge, it should be stated, may have an outward flange 14 to keep the tobacco from dropping too freely over the front edge 14 in packing the trough. The tobacco is then packed in the trough on the paper. The free edge of the paper is then bent over the edge 14 by running the finger over the paper and edge to bring the free end in position to be positively engaged by the toothed edge of the finger 13, which as it is further turned to the right brings the free end of the paper over the tobacco under the body of the paper sheet and wound about the tobacco filling until the entire paper is curled over the filling. The twister, together with the formed cigarette, is then pulled lengthwise out of the trough, a portion of the ends of the paper being, however, moistened bythe tongue, so as to adhere to the body before the twister is entirely removed. After the formed cigarette and twister are entirely pulled out the last part of the free edge of the paper is moistened to complete the cigarette and connected with the body portion 1, after which the twister is withdrawn.

By constructing a former as shown and described the same can be manufactured at an exceedingly small cost, as practically but two pieces are necessary-the body-plate 1 and the twister. Furthermore, the same can be so compactly formed that it can be carried in the pocket, together with the cigarette-paper, without the slightest inconvenience to the carrier or danger of tearing the pocket, it having no sharp edges or projections.

Instead of attaching a book-pack of paper to the under side of the plate 1, as shown in Fig. 1, the bottom of such plate may have a pocket 20, having a suitable hinged flap 21 over the open front end 22, into which the papers and a suitable spring-plate 23, which serves to hold the paper-package up against the plate 1 are inserted. When this form of holder is used, the trough at the receiving edge has a slit 25, through which the uppermost paper sheet is passed, such operation being readily effected by the finger engaging the sheet, the plate 1 having a suitable finger-opening, as shown.

As before stated, I prefer to construct the device as shown in Fig. 1, as in practice it is desirable to make them without a paper-- pocket, so that they can be sold to dealers of different brands of cigarettes.

The plate 1, which forms a rest for the paper sheet, can also serve as an advertisingface, and such plate 1 may have any suitable or ornamental shape.

While I have shown one end of the trough held closed by the end plug 4, such plug may be omitted without affecting the operation of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is

1. A cigarette former, consisting of the body portion provided at one end with a trough-shaped portion, and a former removably placed within the said trough-shaped portion, said former consisting of a handle provided with a boss, a finger attached to said boss, said finger having a beveled forward end, and a serrated upper edge adapted to engage with the cigarette-paper.

2. In a cigarette-forming device, the combination with the body 1, having a trough 3 and having its edge 14 in a plane with the body-plate 1, and having bearing portions 6 and '7, at the ends, of the twister comprising the knob 12, the bearing portion 12", having a spring-contact 13 and a single projecting spring member 13 having a friction bearingface 13, and a serrated beveled face 13*, all being arranged substantially as shown and described.

3. In a cigarette-former of the kind described, the combination with the curved trough, of a twister means movable rotatably and endwise in the trough, said twister comprising a finger-holding knob having a bearing member and a single spring-finger projected over the circumferential edge of the bearing portion, said finger having a frictionface 13 and a beveled face 13, having serrations 13*, substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

WILLIAM S. MALLARD.

Witnesses:

J OHN L. FLETCHER, FRED G. DIETERICH.

ICC 

